Updated: Benavides’ wife and kids are still missing from his campaign website

Updated: Just checked. Still no mention of David Benavides’ wife or family on his campaign website. What is up with that?

I still remember when Santa Ana Council Member David Benavides first ran for the City Council, in 2006. Go back and look at his Smart Voter page and you will see that he proudly described himself as a “Husband of a Santa Ana school teacher, dad of a 4yr old daughter & 6mo old son.”

This is a fairly shocking turn of events. The two things I always admired about Benavides was that he once worked in youth ministry and that he was a family man. Now I have to wonder what is going on.

A city insider told me that Benavides conducted a poll before announcing his campaign for Mayor. One of the questions posed to voters was would they support a mayoral candidate who had cheated on his wife. Why would he include that question in his poll?

Remember that Benavides and his wife bought their home in Santa Ana by participating in a home loan program for teachers, called the “Extra Credit Teacher Home Purchase Program,” which offered a reduced mortgage rate and $7,500 in down payment assistance to teachers who worked at low-performing schools, according to this press release. The Benavides couple were in fact one of the first families to participate in this program. Does Benavides have to give this money back if he and his wife are living separately now, as rumors allege?

Perhaps most unsettling is Benavides’ longtime friendship with his fellow Council Member Carlos Bustamante – who was arrested this year for numerous felony charges of sexual harassment and public theft. Benavides is one of the only Council Members who has NOT called on Bustamante to resign.

Benavides reached out to me before he announced his campaign but I have since made it clear that I am supporting Pulido. He does need to step up now and clarify what is going on. Santa Ana is dominated by working families. The voters deserve to know the truth.

This all brings to mind a slew of emails I received a few years ago from a fellow who claimed he had phone records proving that Benavides had an affair with his wife. Apparently they worked together. Benavides and I met afterwards and he swore there was no affair and that it was a misunderstanding. But now his wife and family are missing from all of his websites – and you have to wonder what in the world is going on.

By contrast, Mayor Miguel Pulido’s official Council bio page proudly mentions his family. So does his Facebook page. Say what you will about Pulido but even his staunchest critics attest to the fact that he is a great father.

But that is not all. While looking at Benavides’ personal Facebook page tonight I noticed he no longer is working at US Bank. Apparently he is now a partner at a company called Civico Real Estate Group. Now this is a problem as this company is based in Santa Ana and is involved in the sale of real estate. Benavides now has a huge conflict of interest both as a Council Member and as a candidate for Mayor.

Why would Benavides quit his job at US Bank? Is he going through a mid-life crisis? Why run for Mayor under these circumstances? It just makes no sense. Yet this guy is the face of the supposed Santa Ana spring?

Entertaining in the comical arguments like:
Children of divorced parents= bastard children

Word is getting out about ” throw enough lies and some will stick” the voters will understand the strategy from a camp that has no problem making up lies finding ways to hurt people away from seeking public office …………anything to win, does the voter want this vs. for the sake of argument , a divorcing candidate. if the politician will condone this strategy to win imagine this strategy carried into office to stay in power……….what am I saying it is exactly the case now.

How can a camp and it’s supporters be taken seriously if they engage in lies, insinuations and threats of loosing jobs by pressure to employers to win an election.

If the argument is a question of character and not want can a candidate do by leadership and ability to work with a team to do the business of the voters , then question the character of the candidate that will make up lies, insinuations and pressure employers to force challengers out of the race.

The voters can then choose which is more trustworthy and able to work with a majority to get the work done.

OK I get that there are lots of divorced people but why would a guy whose family is falling apart decide that what his kids need right about now is their dad running for Mayor of the 2nd largest city in Orange County? Which Family and Marriage Counselor would say that’s just what his ninos need?

Hey Daviiiiid, why don’t you get your house in order and then check back in with the voters of Santana and see if they are buying your brand of Pro-Family politics.

Pulido may not have pleased every last Santa Ana political gadfly but I’ll take the married Mayor who puts his FAMILY first with a proven track record over the “Player/Mac Daddy” who puts the ladies first.

Art, I noticed the photo of former Councilwoman Alberta Christy with Mr. Benavides. Since Alberta is a single mom and her daughter is also a single mom, you would think she would condemn rather than support a scoundrel and womanizer like David. I can’t believe her friends at Calvary Chapel will be pleased when they find out she is supporting him! Has Alberta forgotten the commandment about adultery?
Shameful.

What will happen is that George Collins will WIN.. Mayor Pulido and Benavides will dilute the democrat Vote. Collins will breeze right in. Mayor Pulido has done some good things for the city of Santa Ana. But after 25 years its time to let new people and fresh ideas in.

But Benavides is not the answer either!!! Out of all the candidates, other than mayor Pulido, the most informed and educated candidate is George Collins.

I will vote for George Collins he is the Best Alternative for Santa Ana’s future.

Also, vote for CECILIA “CECI” IGLESIAS for School Board and Karina Onofre for City Council.